Plus, Check Out the New EAntenna Dual-Band Moxon Antenna Available from DX Engineering
Ham radio boasts a storied history of antenna designers whose creations bear their names or call signs:
- Hidestugu Yagi, co-inventor with Shintaro Uda of the Yagi-Uda antenna
- Harold Beverage, W2BML, inventor of the Beverage antenna
- General Loren G. “Windy” Windom, W8GZ, inventor of the Windom antenna
- Louis Varney, G5RV, inventor of the G5RV antenna
Look through the new DX Engineering Amateur Radio Catalog and you’ll find recent examples of innovators who continue to push antenna designs into new realms: Don Kirk, WD8DSB, whose antenna was the basis for DX Engineering’s NOISELOOP Portable Receive Flag Antenna Kit, and I3VHF, the inspiration and brains behind Ciro Mazzoni’s automatic magnetic loop antennas (BABY, MIDI, and STEALTH).
Another name that no ham should forget is Leslie A. “Les” Moxon, G6XN, an author, antenna designer, and 2005 inductee into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. Licensed in 1928, Moxon penned the much-beloved 1982 classic, HF Antennas for All Locations, and the 1952 QST article, “Two-Element Driven Arrays,” among other writings. His book details the two-element horizontally shaped Yagi (with radiator and reflector) that today bears his name. The lightweight, parasitic-array Moxon antenna is known for its simple construction; impressively high front-to-back ratio; and element lengths that are shorter than equivalent dipole lengths due to the antenna’s folded ends.
In his June 2000 article in QST, “Having a Field Day with the Moxon Rectangle,” L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, explains that the Moxon design derived from experimentation with square-shape forms by Fred Caton, VK2ABQ, though explorations in this area can be traced back to the 1930s. Moxon’s book, Cebik wrote, outlined a “rectangular variant in which he remotely tuned the driver and reflector.”
In addition to advancing the art of antenna design, Moxon engaged in confidential work as a radar developer in World War II. Moxon died on March 3, 2004, in Surrey, England, at the age of 95, leaving behind a rich legacy of thought on antennas and propagation that resonate strongly to this day.
One place where you’ll find Moxon’s name is in the recently released DX Engineering catalog, which features a new 10/6 meter EAntenna Moxon Yagi manufactured by WiMo.
The dual-band horizontally polarized, directional antenna (model 2850MOX) is a great choice for making Sporadic-E QSOs on 10 and 6 meters, as well as for local and regional weak-signal operations on SSB, CW, and digital modes. With the ability to fit well on an existing mast where space is limited, this relatively compact dual-band antenna can be an ideal solution for property-restricted areas and for temporary or portable operations. The five-element Moxon Yagi features a short boom (5.9 feet); lightweight design (13.67 lbs.); gains of 8.3 dBi on 10M, 10.5 dBi on 6M; a flat SWR curve over a wide bandwidth; 3,000W maximum power rating; and front-to-back-ratio of 12 dB on 10M, 21 dB on 6M. It requires only one coax feedline and includes a 3kW balun with SO-239 connector.
Visit DXEngineering.com for other Moxon antennas, including directional models from OptiBeam, more choices from EAntenna, plus aluminum tubing and all the parts you’ll need to build one of your own.
